Support system for foundation walls

ABSTRACT

A wall supporting system for supporting a foundation wall against forces applied externally to the wall comprises a support beam having a bottom end and a top end, a floor bracket adapted to maintain the bottom end of the support beam adjacent the wall, and an upper bracket. The upper bracket comprises a main plate facing the wall, and an internally threaded passage opening into said main plate and defining an axis generally perpendicular to the main plate, a torque bolt threadably received in the internally threaded passage, and a beam connector at an end of the torque bolt, wherein the beam connector is adapted to be generally rotationally fixed relative to support beam while the torque bolt can rotate relative to the beam connector, such that advancement of the torque bolt will advance the beam connector to urge the support beam into a compressive relationship with the wall.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. App. No. 63/282270, filed Nov.23, 2021 entitled “Support System for Foundation Walls”, saidapplication being incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

This application relates to a support system for foundation walls, andin particular to a wall support system that can provide support to, orreinforce, existing foundation walls (such as load bearing and non-loadbearing basement foundation walls) without the need to excavate theexterior of the foundation wall.

Moisture in the soil (such as clay soil) surrounding a building’sfoundation expands, and can put extensive pressure on the building’sfoundation. This hydrostatic pressure can, over time, cause basementwalls to crack, bend, and/or more inwardly if there is insufficientdrainage. Foundation walls need to be reinforced if they have cracked,bent, or moved due such hydrostatic pressures. One solution to suchfoundation issues includes wall anchors using cables extending from thefoundation to an anchor point outside the foundation. Another solutionincludes installing channel anchors externally of the foundation andthen boring through the foundation wall to anchor the wall to theexternal channel anchors.

Such systems have the drawback that they require at least partialexcavation of the foundation’s exterior and can require boring ordrilling through the foundation and/or foundation walls. This makes suchsystems disruptive to the area immediately surrounding the building andexpensive to install. It would be desirable to provide a foundation wallsupport system that does not require excavation of the foundation orotherwise require drilling through the foundation or foundation walls.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Briefly stated, a wall supporting system is disclosed for supporting orreinforcing a foundation wall against forces applied externally to thewall. The system comprises a support beam having a bottom end and a topend, a floor bracket adapted to maintain the bottom end of the supportbeam adjacent the wall; and an upper bracket.

The upper bracket comprises a main plate arranged to be generallyparallel to the foundation wall when the wall supporting system is inplace. A passage extends through said main plate. The passage is open atopposite ends and defines an axis generally perpendicular to the mainplate. A torquing member is received in the passage to be movablethrough said passage. Finally, a beam connector is mounted at an end ofthe torquing member. Whereby, advancement of the torquing memberrelative to the main plate will advance the beam connector to urge thesupport beam into a compressive relationship with the foundation wall.The torquing member and passage are shaped and configured to positivelyengage each other such that the torquing member will be substantiallyprevented from retracting from said passage after torquing member hasbeen advanced.

According to an aspect, the passage is a threaded passage, and thetorque member comprises a torquing bolt which is at least partiallythreaded. The torquing bolt can rotate relative to the beam connector,such that the beam connector remains generally rotationally fixed inposition relative to support beam as the torquing bolt is advanced. Inan embodiment, the passage is defined by a tube or member (such as a nutor the like) which extends from a surface of the main plate.

According to an aspect of the wall supporting system the floor bracketcomprises a floor plate adapted to be secured to a floor and a backplate.

According to an aspect of the wall supporting system the beam connectorcomprises a face plate and arms extending from the face plate in adirection to extend away from the main plate, such that the connectordefines a channel sized to receive the support beam.

According to an aspect of the wall supporting system the arms comprise abase adjacent the face plate and a distal end, the arms being wider attheir bases than at their free ends.

According to an aspect of the wall supporting system the beam connectorcomprises a hollow tube sized to rotatably receive the torquing member.

According to an aspect of the wall supporting system the upper bracketis adapted to be mounted between joists that extend generallyperpendicularly to the wall to be supported.

In accordance with this aspect, the upper bracket comprises opposedjoist mounting members and a center span extending between the joistmounting members; the center span comprising the main plate; wherein thecenter span is adjustably connected to the joist mounting members.

In accordance with this aspect, the joist mounting members each comprisea side plate and a back plate; the back plates each comprising anopening and the main plate comprising opposed mounting openingsproximate opposite ends of the main plate; the wall supporting systemfurther comprising fasteners extending through the openings when alignedto secure the center span to the joist mounting members; wherein one ofthe openings is an elongate opening whereby the relative position of thecenter span relative to the joist mounting members can be laterallyadjusted.

In accordance with this aspect, the center span comprises a top plateextending generally perpendicularly to the main plate.

In accordance with this aspect, either or both of the center span andthe joist mounting members comprise at least one stiffening plate.

In accordance with another aspect, the upper bracket is adapted to bemounted to blocking extending between joists that extend generallyparallel to the wall to be supported.

In accordance with this aspect, the upper bracket comprises a frontplate spaced forwardly of the main plate and side members extendingbetween the front and main plate plates; the side members extendingabove upper edges of the front and main plates to define a gaptherebetween.

In accordance with this aspect, the side members comprise a back plate.

In accordance with this aspect, the side members comprise flangesextending outwardly from the back plate.

In accordance with this aspect, the side members define at least onemounting hole; the mounting hole being above top edges of the front andmain plates.

In accordance with this aspect, the front plate defines a hole alignedwith the hole of the main plate, whereby the torquing member can beaccessed through the front plate.

In accordance with this aspect, the upper bracket includes a top plateextending from an upper edge of the front plate, preferably in adirection away from the main plate.

In another aspect, a method is disclosed for installing the wall supportsystem described above to reinforce a foundation wall of a building havea floor at a bottom of the foundation wall and a ceiling at a top of thefoundation wall, and wherein the ceiling comprises joists. The methodcomprises positioning the support beam on the wall such that the supportbeam extends from the floor to a point above a bottom surface of thejoists, securing the floor bracket to the floor to maintain the bottomof the support beam adjacent a bottom of the foundation wall; mountingthe upper bracket in the ceiling to be aligned with the support beamsuch that the beam connector is in contact with the support beam, andadvancing the torquing member to urge the support beam against thefoundation wall to counter external pressures being applied against thewall.

In accordance with an aspect of the method, when the joists extendgenerally perpendicularly to the foundation wall; the method comprisessecuring the floor joist mounts to adjacent floor joists and securingthe center span to the floor joist mounts in a position generallycentered between the floor joist mounts. In accordance with this aspect,the method includes loosely connecting the center span to the floorjoist mounts prior to securing the floor joist mounts to the joists.

In accordance with an aspect of the method, when the joists extendgenerally parallel to the foundation wall; the method comprisesinstalling bracing between at least two and preferably at least fourjoists, such that the bracing is aligned with the support beam, mountingthe upper bracket to the bracing behind joist closest to the wall, andmounting a reinforcement strap to the bracing and/or joists, wherein thereinforcing strap has a forward edge positioned adjacent the upperbracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-B are schematic perspective views of a foundation supportsystem for use with joists running perpendicular and parallel,respectively, to the wall to be reinforced when installed in thebasement of a building (with the joists in FIG. 1B being shown inphantom);

FIGS. 2A-D are enlarged perspective views of the connection of theperpendicular foundation support system of FIG. 1A to the basementceiling taken different angles;

FIG. 2E is a schematic perspective view of the top of the foundationsupport system, showing a support beam in position to provide support toa foundation wall, with joists shown in phantom;

FIG. 2F is a perspective view of the bottom of the support beampositioned in a toe bracket;

FIGS. 3A-B are front and side elevational views, respectively, of acenter span of an upper perpendicular bracket of the foundation supportsystem;

FIGS. 4A-C are top plan, front elevational, and side elevational views,respectively of a floor joist mount of the upper perpendicular bracket;

FIGS. 5A-B are side and back elevational views, respectively, of a beamtop connector of the foundation support system;

FIGS. 6A-B are side and front elevational views, respectively, of afloor bracket of the foundation support system;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the components of the foundation supportsystem in a disassembled state with the upper perpendicular bracket;

FIGS. 8A-B are front and side elevational views of an alternative centerspan for the upper perpendicular bracket which does not includestiffeners;

FIGS. 9A-C are bottom plan, side elevational, and front elevationalviews, respectively, of an alternative floor joist mount for the upperperpendicular bracket which does not include stiffeners;

FIGS. 10A-B are perspective views off the wall support system in whichthe joists run parallel to the wall to be reinforced;

FIG. 11 is a perspective schematic view of the wall reinforcement systemwith joists and blocking shown in phantom, with the upper parallelbracket shown mounted to the bracing;

FIGS. 12A-D are top plan, front elevational, back elevational, and sideelevational views, respectively, of an upper parallel bracket;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of blocking reinforcement strap for use with theupper parallel bracket;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the components of the foundationsupport system in a disassembled state using an upper parallel bracket.

Corresponding reference numerals will be used throughout the severalfigures of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description illustrates the claimed invention byway of example and not by way of limitation. This description willclearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the claimedinvention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations,alternatives and uses of the claimed invention, including what ispresently believed is the best mode of carrying out the claimedinvention. Additionally, it is to be understood that the claimedinvention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and the arrangements of components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. The claimedinvention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orbeing carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

A foundation wall support system 10 is shown in FIGS. 1A-B installed ina basement having a floor F and a wall W to be reinforced. In FIG. 1A,the foundation wall support system is shown reinforcing a wall W inwhich the joists J of the basement ceiling extend perpendicular to thewall W to be reinforced. In FIG. 1B, on the other hand, the foundationwall support system is shown reinforcing a wall W in which the joists Jof the basement ceiling extend parallel to the wall W to be reinforced.In both cases, the foundation wall support system comprises a supportbeam 20 extending from the basement floor F to a point above the wall Wand preferably slightly below the top of the ceiling joists J. Thesupport beam 20 preferably has a flat side which, when installed, isadjacent the wall W to have surface contact with the wall W. Preferably,the support beam 20 is an I-beam with the flange of the I-beam adjacentthe wall. As will be explained below, this will allow the support beamto exert a pressure on the wall over the entire surface which is incontact with the wall to counter the hydrostatic forces causing the wallto bow or tilt inwardly.

The support beam 20 is secured in place at top thereof by an upperbracket 22, 122 which is mounted in the ceiling either between adjacentjoists J for a perpendicular system as shown in FIG. 1A or to blocking100 extending between joists of the ceiling for a parallel system asshown in FIG. 1B. At its bottom, the support beam 20 is held against thewall by a toe or floor bracket 60. The support system 10 thus comprisesthree basic components: the beam 20, the upper bracket 22, 122, and thetoe bracket 60.

FIGS. 2A-E show the upper perpendicular bracket 22, and FIGS. 3A-4C showthe components of the upper perpendicular bracket. The upperperpendicular bracket 22 comprises a center span 30 which is supportedbetween, and operatively connected to, adjacent joists J by right andleft joist mounts 40. As will be described in more detail below, thesupport beam 20 is adjacent the wall W in alignment with the bracket 22.The support beam is partially surrounded by a beam connecter 50. Atorquing member 24, in the form of a torque bolt, passes through bracket22 to be received by the beam connector 50. As described below, torqueis applied to the bolt 24 to “push” the support beam 20 against the wallto support or reinforce the wall W. The pressure provided by the system10 against the basement wall W counters the forces of the soil externalof the foundation wall W.

The center span 30 is shown in detail in FIGS. 3A-B. The center span 30comprises a main plate 32 and a top plate 34 which is generallyperpendicular to the main plate 32. The main plate 32 has a frontsurface 32 a and a back surface 32 b; and the top plate 34 has a lowersurface 34 a and an upper surface 34 b. A pair of stiffeners 36, whichare shown to be triangular, extend generally perpendicularly to both thefront surface 32 a of the main plate 32 and the lower surface 34 a ofthe top plate 34. The stiffeners 36 have edges 36 a,b which are fixed(such as by welding) to the main plate 32 and top plate 34. Thestiffeners are preferably generally right triangles wherein the twoedges 36 a,b are of approximately equal length. The stiffeners 36 arepositioned on the center span to divide the center span intoapproximately equal thirds. A center hole 32 c is formed in the mainplate approximately midway between the two stiffeners 36, and mountingholes 32 d are formed in the main plate spaced inwardly slightly fromside edges of the main plate. The mounting holes 32 d are positioned tobe approximately midway between the top and bottom edges of the mainplate 32. The center hole 32 c has a center that is shown to be slightlybelow the center of the two mounting holes 32 d. However, the centers ofthe three holes can be cl-linear. As shown in FIGS. 3A-B, the main plate32 has a single mounting hole on each side of the center span. Thecenter span, however, could be formed with opposed pairs of verticallyspaced mounting holes, as is evident from FIG. 2B. A tube 38, in theform of an internally threaded member, extends from the back surface 32b of the main plate 32 to be aligned with the hole 32 c. This tube 38can be formed from a nut or internally threaded tube which is mounted,such as by welding, to the back surface 32 b of the main plate 32. Ifthe main plate 32 is sufficiently thick, the tube can be dispensed with,and the passage defined by the tube can be formed directly in the mainplate 32.

In a preferred embodiment, the center span 30 preferably has aside-to-side width of about 13¼” and a height of about 4″. Thestiffeners 36 have legs 36 a,b that are about 3″ long. The mountingholes 32 d have centers that are about 2″ above the bottom edge of themain plate 32 and are sized to accept a %” diameter bolt. The centralopening 32 c has a center that is about 1⅞” above the bottom edge of themain plate 32 and is sized to receive a 1¼” diameter bolt. The centerspan 30 is preferably made from ¼” thick steel plating, but could beformed from any material which can withstand the forces to which thecenter span 30 will be subject when installed.

The center span 30 is supported by right and left floor joist mounts 40.The right and left floor joist mounts are mirror images of each other,thus, only one of the floor joist mount is shown in FIGS. 4A-C. Eachfloor joist mount 40 includes a mounting (or joist facing) plate 42 anda back (or wall facing) plate 44. The mounting plate 42 has inner andouter surface 42 a,b; and the back plate has front and back surfaces 44a,b. A pair of stiffeners 46 (shown to be triangular) extend generallyperpendicularly form the mounting plate 42 and back plate 44. As willbecome apparent, the floor joist mounts, when secured to the floorjoists are arranged such that the stiffeners each lay in a generallyhorizontal plane and are vertically aligned - that is, one stiffener 46is vertically above the other. The stiffeners 46 have edges 46 a,b whichare fixed (such as by welding) to the mounting plate 42 and back plate44 floor joist brackets. The stiffeners are preferably generally righttriangles wherein the two edges are of approximately equal length.Lastly, the floor joist mounts each include a pair of mounting holes 42c in the mounting plate and an elongate opening 44 c in the back plate44. The elongate opening has a major axis that extends generallyparallel to the plane of the stiffeners 46. The mounting holes 42 c areshown to be diagonally off set from each other, but could be alignedsuch that their centers define a line generally parallel to the backplate 44.

In a preferred embodiment, the floor joist mounts 40 have a height ofabout 6″. The mounting plate 42 has a front-to-back depth of about 5″and the back plate 44 has a width (along its back surface) of about 3″.The edges 46 a,b of the stiffeners 46 each have a length of about 2¾”.The mounting holes 42 a in the mounting plate 42 and the elongateopening 44 a in the back plate 44 are all sized to accept a %” diameterbolt. The elongate opening 44 c preferably has a length of about 1½”.The floor joist mounts are preferably made from ¼” thick steel plating,but could be formed from any material which can withstand the forces towhich the floor joist mounts 40 will be subject when installed.

The top beam connector 50, shown in FIGS. 5A-B, is in the shape of achannel member, and comprises a face plate 52 with arms 54 extendingforwardly from the face plate 52. The arms 54 are generally trapezoidalin shape, with a base 54 a, adjacent the face plate, that is wider thanthe distal end 54 b of the arms. The outer surface 54 c of the arms aregenerally perpendicular to the face plate and the inner surface 54 d ofarms slopes from the base to the distal end. The distance between thebases 54 a of the arms 54 is slightly greater than the width of thesupport beam 20, such that the support beam 20 can be positioned betweenthe arms 54. Preferably, the distance between the bases 54 a of the arms54 is not more than 1” (and more preferably not more than ½”) greaterthan the side-to-side width of the support beam 20. A hollow, preferablycylindrical, tube 56 extends from the rear surface of the face plate 52,and thus extends in an opposite direction from the arms 54. The tube 56is generally centered (both length wise and height wise) relative to theface plate 52. Preferably, the face plate is solid, and there is no holein the face plate aligned with the hollow tube 56. The hollow tube 56thus defines a passage or hole that is closed by a back surface of theface plate 52.

In a preferred embodiment, the top beam connector 50 has a side-to-sidewidth of about 6” (along the back surface of the face plate 52) and adepth of about 2” (along the outer surfaces 54 c of the arms 54). Thedistance between the bases 54 a of the arms 54 on the front surface ofthe face plate is about 5”. The hollow tube 56 has a length of about 1”and is sized to accept a 1¼” diameter bolt.

The toe or floor bracket 60, shown in FIGS. 6A-B, is generally in theform of an L-bracket and has a floor plate 62 and a front plate 64. Apair of mounting holes 62 a are formed in the floor plate 62. The frontplate 64 can be solid, i.e., it can be formed without any holes. In apreferred embodiment, the toe or floor backet as a side-to-side width ofabout 4” (which corresponds generally to the width of the support beam20). The mounting holes are sized to receive %” diameter bolts. Like thecenter span and the floor joist mounts, the floor bracket is preferablyformed from ¼” steel, but could be formed from any material which canwithstand the forces to which the floor backet 60 will be subject wheninstalled.

To install the foundation support system 10, initially, the position ofthe support beams 20 along the wall is determined. The position of thebeams and the number of beams to be installed along a wall depends onfactors such as the wall height, type of wall construction, wallreinforcing and thickness, wall backfill height, water impoundment, andwall deterioration. The beams are all cut to height, such that when thebeam 20 is on the floor plate 62 of the of the floor bracket 60, the topof the beam will extend above the top of the wall, and preferably beslightly below the top of the joist. The beams 20 can be positionedalong the walls at this point.

The center span 30 is loosely assembled to the left and right floorjoist mounts 40 by passing bolts B1 (FIGS. 2A,E) through the holes 32 dof the center span into the elongate holes 44 c of the back plate 44 ofthe floor joist brackets. This loose connection will allow the floorjoist mounts 40 to move relative to the center span 30. As seen in FIG.2E, the center span will be sandwiched by the stiffeners 46 of the floorjoist brackets, with the bottom edge of the center span back plate 32being above the bottom floor joist stiffener, and the top plate 34 ofthe center span being below the top floor joist stiffener. The floorjoist stiffeners 46 are spaced apart a distance to allow for the centerspan 30 to be easily slid into place between the floor joist stiffeners46. For example, there can be ½” or less (and preferably ¼” or less) ofclearance on either side of the center plate.

At this point, the torque bolt 24 can be passed through the center hole32 a of the center span back plate 32 and threaded through the bolt 38.

The floor joist mounts 40 are then secured to adjacent joists J usingbolts B2 (FIGS. 2D,E) which pass through the mounting holes 42 c in themounting plates 42. The right and left floor joist mounts 40 are mountedto facing surfaces of adjacent joists J such that their respective backplates 44 extend toward each other and are aligned with each other on aplane that is generally parallel to the basement wall W. That is, theback plates 44 of the floor joist mounts are generally co-planar. Thefloor joist mounts 40 are positioned on the floor joists such that theirback plates 44 are spaced from the basement wall W by a distance greaterthan the depth of the support beam 20. Thus, main plate 32 of the centerspan 30 will also be generally parallel to the wall W. Once the floorjoist mounts 40 are tightened in place, the center span 30 is movedrelative to the floor joist mounts 40 as may be necessary so that thecenter span is generally centered between the floor joists J. As can beappreciated, the elongate openings 44 c in the back plate 44 of thefloor joist mounts allow for the adjustment of the position of thecenter span 30. These elongate openings could, instead, be formed in themain plate 32 of the center span. In this instance, the mounting holes32 d of the main plate would be replaced with elongate holes, and thehole 44 a in the floor joist mount back plate 44 could be a circularhole.

With the upper bracket assembly 22 in place, the top beam connector 50can be put in place. The top beam connector 50 is positioned such thatits arms 54 extend around the support beam 20 and its front surface isin contact with the support beam 20. The top beam connector 50 ispositioned along the support beam 20 such that the cylinder 56 of thetop beam connector is aligned with the torque bolt 24. The torque bolt24 is then advanced to be received in the cylinder 56 of the top beamconnector 50 to loosely hold the beam 20 in place in position againstthe wall W.

The toe bracket 60 (which may have been previously positioned) issecured to the floor F using bolts B3 (FIG. 2F) which pass through themounting holes 62 a of the floor plate 62. The floor bracket 60 ispositioned on the floor F to be generally centered between the joists J,such that the support beam 20 will extend generally vertically upwardlyto reach between in front of the torque bolt 24 of the center span 30.If necessary, the position of the base of the support beam 20 isadjusted so that the support beam 20 will extend generally verticallybetween the floor bracket and the upper bracket. The toe bracket isoriented such that the front plate 64 is generally parallel to, andspaced from the wall a distance generally equal to the front-to-backwidth of the support beam 20, such that the toe bracket 60 will maintainthe bottom of the support beam in surface contact with the bottom of thebasement wall. Thus, as seen in FIG. 2F, the front plate 64 of the toebracket is adjacent an outer face of the support beam 20. The toebracket is preferably arranged such that the support beam 20 sits on thefloor plate 62 of the toe bracket 60. However, the toe bracket could beoriented such that the support beam 20 rests directly on the floor F,with the floor plate 62 extending away from the support beam 20. Ineither case, the toe backet 60 will retain the base of the support beam20 adjacent the wall W.

Importantly, the torquing member 24 positively engages the passage tosubstantially prevent the torquing member from retracting from saidpassage after torquing member has been advanced. In the disclosedembodiment, this positive engagement is accomplished by means of thetreads on the torque bolt and passage 38. However, positive engagementcould be accomplished via other means. For example, the torquing member24 could be advanced by a ratcheting mechanism. In this instance, thethreads torquing member and the tube 38 would be replaced with ratchetteeth which would maintain the torquing member in place longitudinallyrelative to the tube 38 and the upper bracket (or main plate) againstthe counter forces F2 exerted by the foundation wall against the supportbeam 20. Other methods of advancing the torquing member can also beenvisaged by those of skill in the art.

The above-steps are repeated for each of the support beams 20 to be usedto support the wall W. After all the beams 20 are in place, the torquebolts 24 for each beam 20 are threaded forwardly, such that the beam topconnectors engage and bear against the beams 20. The system 10 (with thesupport beam 20 held in place at its bottom by the floor bracket andforced against the wall at its top by the torque bolt 24 and beam topconnector 50) will apply spring-like forces F1 (FIGS. 1A and 2E) to thebeam 20 which will urge the beam 20 against the wall. The urging of thebeams 20 against the wall W will counteract the external hydrostaticforces being applied against the outer surface of the wall by the soilto thus support, and, if possible, straighten the wall W. As can beappreciated, opposing forces F2 pass from support beam 20, to the upperbracket 22 and the joist mounts 40 to pass into the joists J. The amountof torque applied by each torque bolt 24 may vary based on the locationof the beams along the wall (that is, the forces exerted by the beamsagainst the wall may not all be the same). Further, the forces exertedby the beams (and thus the amount of torque to be applied by the torquebolts) will be based on the strength of the hydrostatic forces beingexerted against the outer surface of the wall W and the amount oftilting, cracking, or bowing of the wall W.

As can be appreciated, the wall support system 10 does not require anyexternal excavation of the foundation; nor does it require that anyholes be bored in the foundation wall. This thus makes the wall supportsystem 10 easier to install and potentially less expensive to beinstalled.

An alternative center span 30′ is shown in FIGS. 8A-B, and analternative floor joist mount 40′ is shown in FIGS. 9A-C. The centerspan 30′ and floor joist mount 40′ are generally identical to the centerspan 30 and floor joist mount 40, except that the center span 30′ andfloor joist mount 40′ do not have stiffeners or gusset plates, as do thecenter span 30 and floor joist mount 40. To account for the loss of thestiffeners, the center span 30′ and floor joist mount 40′ are formedfrom thicker material. Whereas the center span 30 and floor joist mount40 were preferably ¼” (about 6.4 mm) thick, the center span 30′ andfloor joist mount 40′ are each preferably ⅜” (about 9.5 mm) thick. FIG.9C also shows an alternative arrangement of holes in the mounting plate42. As seen in FIG. 9C, in addition to the mounting holes 42 c the floorjoist mount includes holes 42 d which are smaller than the holes 42 care and sized to accept screws which can pass through the mounting plate42 into the joist. The four holes define a rectangle, which each hole ata corner of the rectangle. The two holes 42 c are at diagonally oppositecorners and the two holes 42 d are at diagonally opposite corners of therectangle. The holes 42 d could, of course, also be provided on thefloor joist mount 40.

The upper bracket 22 shown in FIGS. 2A-E is, as noted, are for use insystems 10 wherein the joists run perpendicular to the wall to besupported. FIGS. 10A-B show the wall support system 10 for to support afoundation wall wherein the joists run parallel to the wall to besupported, and FIG. 11 -12D show an upper perpendicular bracket 122 foruse in this parallel system. Because the joists J extend parallel to thewall to be reinforced or supported, the bracket system 22 of FIGS. 2A-Ecannot be used. Further, because of the forces exerted by the supportsystem 10 against the wall, the forces cannot be borne by a single joistextending parallel to the wall. In this instance, the forced applied bythe system will be generally perpendicular to the joists, and the forceswould bend, and possibly crack or break, the joist J1 closest to thewall W to be supported. Thus, at each location along the wall W wherebeams 20 are to be placed, blocking 100 (FIG. 10A-11) is placed betweenadjacent joists, with the blocking 100 extending generally perpendicularto the wall W to be supported. Blocking is not positioned between thewall W and the first joist J1, as this is where the beam 20 will bepositioned. However, there are two, and preferably at least four, levelsof blocking between the joists J1-J5. That is, preferably, there isblocking 100 between joists J1 and J2, blocking 100 between joists J2and J3, blocking between joists J3 and J4, and blocking between joistsJ4 and J5. As seen in FIGS. 10A and 11 , the four levels of blocking areco-linear. The blocking 100 can comprise sections of lumber that have aside-to-side width totaling about 3″ and a length sufficient to fitsnuggly between adjacent joists J1/J2, J2/J3, J3/J4, and J4/J5. Thetorque bolt 24 and the top beam connector 50 are supported by a bracketsystem 122 which is mounted to the blocking 100 between the first andsecond joists J1,J2.

Referring to FIG. 11 -12D and 14, the bracket system 122 includes afront plate 124, a main or back plate 126, and opposed channel sidemembers 128 which extend between the front and back plates at oppositeends thereof. The channel side members 128 each comprise a back plate128 a with flanges 128 b extending outwardly to define an outwardlyopening channel. The flanges 128 a,b have flat outer surfaces which aregenerally perpendicular to the back plate 128 a of the channel sidemembers and sloped inner surfaces, such that the flanges are wider attheir bases (adjacent the back plate 128) than at their free ends. Thechannel members 128 are spaced from each other to define a gap 129between their back plates 128 a having a distance slightly greater thanthe width of the blocking 100 so that the channel members can bereceived on opposite sides of the blocking. The front and main plates124, 126 are sized to have a side-to-side length such that theiropposite end edges are proximate the free ends of the flanges. The frontand main plates 124, 126 are fixed to the side channel members 128 byany desired means, including welding, soldering, gluing, bolting etc.The side members 128 have a top-to-bottom length greater than thetop-to-bottom length of the front and main plates 124, 126, and extendfrom the proximate bottom of the front and main plates above the tops ofthe front and main plates. A top plate 130 extends forwardly from, andgenerally perpendicular to, the front plate 124. Preferably, the topplate 130 has a side-to-side width generally equal to the width of thegap between the side members 128. The front and main plates 124, 126 aresized such that the top edge of the main plate will be even, level, orcoplanar with the top surface of the top plate 130. As seen in FIG. 12D,the top plate 130 is well below the top of the side members 128. Ifdesired, the front plate 124 and top plate 130 can be formed togetherfrom an angle iron. A socket hole 124 a is formed in the front plategenerally centered between the side channel members 128; a bolt hole 126a is formed in the back plate 126 concentrically with the socket hole124 a; mounting holes 128 c are formed in the back plates 128 a of theside members 128 above the tops of the front and back plates; and aninternally threaded member 132, sized to threadedly receive the torquebolt 24 extends from the main plate 126 to face away from the frontplate 124. The internally threaded member 132 can be, for example, abolt which is fixed to the front plate 124.

In a preferred embodiment, the front plate (inclusive of the top plate)and the main plate each have a height of about 4” and a width of about6¾”. The top plate, however, preferably has a width generally equal tothe distance between the side channel members (or about 3”). The sidemembers 128 have a height of about 10” and the outer surfaces of theflanges have a depth of about 1.9”. The bolt hole 126 a is sized toaccept a 1¼” diameter bolt, and the socket hole 124 a is sized toreceive a socket which can drive the bolt. The mounting holes 128 c inthe side channel members are sized to accept ⅝” bolts. Preferably, theside channel members are mirror images of each other, such that themounting holes on one channel member are aligned with the mounting holeson the other channel member.

Installation of the wall support system on parallel joists is generallythe same as perpendicular joist. However, the upper bracket 122 is usedrather than the upper bracket 22. To mount the upper bracket 122, theupper bracket is positioned around the blocking 100 between the firsttwo joists J1,J2 such that the top plate 130 is against the bottom ofthe blocking 100, and the side members 128 are on opposite sides of theblocking. The fit should be such that the upper bracket 122 does notrotate. The top plate 130 helps to prevent rotation of the bracket 122about the blocking 100. Bolts B2 (FIG. 10B) are passed through themounting holes 128 c into the blocking 100. If desired, the bolts B2 canbe sufficiently long to pass through one side member, through theblocking, and to exit through the opposite side member to receive a nutto secure the bolts in place. Alternatively, the bolts B2 can be sizedto pass part way through the blocking 100. In this instance, the boltscould simply extend part way through the blocking (in which case thebolts would be in the form of screws), or the bolts could be received bythreaded tubes which extend into the blocking from the opposite side ofthe blocking. Any other means could be used to secure the bracket to theblocking, as long as the manner of securing the bracket will withstandthe forces to which the bracket will be subject.

The torque bolt 24 is passed through the socket hole 124 a, into thebolt hole 126 a and threaded into the nut 132. Prior to torquing thebolts 24 (after all the beams 20 have been installed), a reinforcementstrap 140 (FIGS. 10A and 13 ) is mounted to the bottom of the blockings100. The reinforcement strap 140 comprises an elongate strip of,preferably, steel which secured to the blockings 100 starting from apoint just behind the bracket (i.e., behind the top plate 130). Thereinforcement strap 140 includes a plurality of holes 140 a arranged intwo rows through which fasteners, such as screws, nails, or the like,can be passed to secure the strap 140 to the blockings 100 and/or thejoists J1-J5 to tie them all together as a system. After the straps 140have been fixed in place, the torque bolts 24 can be tightened down toactivate the system 10 to provide support to the wall W, as describedabove. The use of the blockings 100 and reinforcement strap 140, asnoted above, avoids the forces generated by the system from beingapplied to just the first joist J1. Rather, the forces are transferredthrough the blocks 100 to, and spread among, at least the joists J1-J5.As with the upper bracket 22, the torque member 24 could be advancedrelative to the upper bracket 122 via any desired means, such asratcheting means.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the claimed invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense. For example, internally threaded member 38, 132extending from the upper brackets 22, 122 could be omitted, and replacedwith an internally threaded passage formed in the bracket. the top beamconnector 50 could be rotatably secured to the torque bolt in any mannerwhich would allow the torque bolt to rotate relative to the top beamconnector.

Depending on the manner of connection, the tube 56 of the top beamconnector may not be needed and can be omitted. As another alternative,the tube 56 could be replaced with a blind hole in the plate 52 sized toreceive the torque bolt 24. In the upper bracket 122, the side members128 could be formed as plates, rather than as channel members. Further,the portion of each side member 128 extending above the front and mainplates 124, 126 could comprise two side member pieces which are spacedfrom each other. these variations and alternatives are illustrativeonly.

1. A wall supporting system for supporting a foundation wall againstforces applied externally to the wall; the system comprising: a supportbeam having a bottom end and a top end; a floor bracket adapted tomaintain the bottom end of the support beam adjacent the foundationwall; and an upper bracket; the upper bracket comprising: a main platearranged to be generally parallel to the foundation wall when the wallsupporting system is in place; a passage through said main plate, saidpassage being open at opposite ends and defining an axis generallyperpendicular to said main plate; a torquing member being received insaid passage; said torquing member being movable through said passage;and a beam connector at an end of said torquing member; whereby,advancement of said torquing member relative to said main plate willadvance said beam connector to urge said support beam into a compressiverelationship with said foundation wall, said torquing member and saidpassage being shaped and configured to positively engage each other suchthat said torquing member will be substantially prevented fromretracting from said passage after torquing member has been advanced. 2.The wall supporting system of claim 1, wherein said passage is athreaded passage, and said torque member comprises a torquing bolt whichis at least partially threaded; wherein said torquing bolt can rotaterelative to said beam connector, such that said beam connector remainsgenerally rotationally fixed in position relative to support beam assaid torquing bolt is advanced.
 3. The wall supporting system of claim 1wherein said beam connector comprises a face plate and arms extendingfrom said face plate in a direction to extend away from said main plate,such that said connector defines a channel sized to receive said supportbeam.
 4. The wall supporting system of claim 3 wherein said arms of saidbeam connector comprise a base adjacent said face plate and a distalend, said arms being wider at their bases than at their free ends. 5.The wall supporting system of claim 1 wherein said beam connectorcomprises a hole sized to rotatably receive said torque bolt.
 6. Thewall supporting system of claim 5 wherein said hole is defined by ahollow tube3 extending from said face plate of said beam connector. 7.The wall supporting system of claim 1 wherein said upper bracketcomprises opposed joist mounting members and a center span extendingbetween said joist mounting members; said center span comprising saidmain plate; wherein said center span is adjustably connected to saidjoist mounting members.
 8. The wall supporting system of claim 7 whereinsaid joist mounting members each comprise a side plate and a back plate;said back plate comprising an opening and said main plate comprisingopposed mounting openings proximate opposite ends of said main plate;said wall supporting system further comprising fasteners extendingthrough said openings of said joist mounting members and said main platewhen aligned to secure said center span to said joist mounting members;wherein one of said openings is an elongate opening whereby the relativeposition of said center span relative to said joist mounting members canbe laterally adjusted.
 9. The wall supporting system of claim 7 whereinsaid center span comprises a top plate extending generallyperpendicularly to said main plate.
 10. The wall supporting system ofclaim 7 wherein either or both of said center span and said joistmounting members comprise at least one stiffening plate.
 11. The wallsupporting system of claim 1 wherein said upper bracket comprises afront plate spaced forwardly of said main plate and side membersextending between said front plate and main plate; said side membersextending above upper edges of said front plate and main plate to definea gap therebetween.
 12. The wall supporting system of claim 11 whereinsaid side members comprise a back plate.
 13. The wall supporting systemof claim 12 wherein said side members comprise flanges extendingoutwardly from said back plate.
 14. The wall supporting system of claim11 wherein said side members define at least one mounting hole; saidmounting hole being above top edges of said front plate and main plate.15. The wall supporting system of claim 11 wherein said front platedefines a hole aligned with said hole of said main plate, whereby saidtorque bolt can be accessed through said front plate.
 16. The wallsupporting system of claim 11 wherein said upper bracket includes a topplate extending from an upper edge of said front plate.
 17. A method ofinstalling the wall support system of claim 1 to reinforce a foundationwall of a building; said building including a floor at a bottom of saidfoundation wall and a ceiling at a top of said foundation wall; saidceiling comprising joists; said method comprising: positioning thesupport beam adjacent said wall (W); said support beam having a heightsuch that an upper end of said support beam is above a bottom surface ofsaid joists when a bottom of said support beam is at said floor;securing the floor bracket to the floor to maintain the bottom of saidsupport beam adjacent a bottom of said foundation wall; mounting theupper bracket in the ceiling to be aligned with said support beam suchthat said beam connector is in contact with said support beam; andadvancing said torque member to urge said support beam against saidfoundation wall to counter external pressures being applied against saidwall.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said joists extend generallyperpendicularly to said foundation wall, said upper bracket comprising acenter span and two floor joist mounts; said method comprising: securingsaid floor joist mounts to adjacent floor joists; and securing saidcenter span to said floor joist mounts in a position generally centeredbetween said floor joist mounts.
 19. The method of claim 18 including astep of loosely connecting said center span to said floor joist mountsprior to securing said floor joist mounts to said joists.
 20. The methodof claim 17 wherein said joists extend generally parallel to saidfoundation wall (W); said method comprising: installing bracing betweenat least two adjacent joists; such that said bracing is aligned withsaid support beam (20); mounting the upper bracket (122) to the bracingbehind a joist closest to the wall (W); and mounting a reinforcementstrap to the bracing and/or joists; said reinforcing strap having aforward edge positioned adjacent the upper bracket.